With the British Government still stalling on when it will implement its
promised ban on the use of wild animals in circuses, yet another country,
Paraguay, has banned this archaic practice.

Animal Defenders International (ADI) applauds Paraguay for becoming the
latest country to ban the use of wild animals in circuses under Resolution
2002/12 passed this week by the Secretary of the Ministry of the Environment
(Secretar�a del Medio Ambiente).

Since ADI launched a major undercover investigation of animals in
circuses in South America in 2007, a series of bans have swept across the
continent as Governments have acted decisively to end the suffering of these
animals. Bans are in place in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and now Paraguay.
Legislation for the ban passed its second reading in Colombia earlier this
year and legislation for a ban is well advanced in Brazil.

Jan Creamer, President of Animal Defenders International: "We
congratulate the Paraguayan Government for taking this progressive stand and
everyone who has worked to secure this ban. This confirms how people all
over the world are realising that it is no longer acceptable to confine,
deprive and abuse animals in the name of entertainment. You have to also ask
why the UK is falling so far behind so many other countries on this issue."

ADI dramatically enforced the Bolivian ban last year, raiding eight
circuses that had defied the law and rescuing and relocating every animal --
including transporting 29 lions to the USA.

In the UK, on 18th June, the trial commences of the owners of Anne the
elephant, on charges of failure of their responsibilities under the Animal
Welfare Act 2006.

News just in - Paraguay has banned animal-act circuses! Animal Rights
Action Network (ARAN) and Animal Defenders International (ADI) applaud
Paraguay for becoming the latest country to ban the use of wild animals in
circuses under Resolution 2002/12 passed this week by the Secretary of the
Ministry of the Environment (Secretar�a del Medio Ambiente). Since ADI
launched a major undercover investigation of animals in circuses in South
America in 2007, a series of bans have swept across the continent as
Governments have acted decisively to end the suffering of these animals.
Bans are in place in Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and now Paraguay. Legislation
for a ban passed its second reading in Colombia earlier this year and
legislation for a ban is well advanced in Brazil.

Jan Creamer President Animal Defenders International: "We congratulate
the Paraguayan Government for taking this progressive stand and everyone who
has worked to secure this ban. This confirms how people all over the world
are realizing that it is no longer acceptable to confine, deprive and abuse
animals in the name of entertainment. You have to also ask why countries
like the Ireland, the USA and UK have fallen so far behind on this issue."

John Carmody, ARAN: "More and more local authorities in Ireland are
either considering a ban on the use of wild animals and now we will be
stepping up the pressure for a national ban. With ADI we have exposed
physical abuse, confinement and deprivation in Irish circuses, and in these
past months we have seen the public put at great risk with an elephant
escaping from a circus and a trainer seriously injured. If countries like
Paraguay and Greece are ending this archaic suffering, surely we can do the
same in Ireland."

The Traveling Exotic Animal Protection Act which would ban the use of
wild animals in circuses throughout the USA is currently before Congress.
The British Government recently promised to introduce a ban at the earliest
opportunity. There are over 20 countries with similar measures already in
place. ADI dramatically enforced the Bolivian ban last year, raiding eight
circuses that had defied the law and rescuing and relocating every animal --
including transporting 29 lions to the USA. In the UK, on 18th June, the
trial commences of the owners of Anne the elephant, on charges of failure of
their responsibilities under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.